# std::invalid_argument

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Defined in header `<stdexcept>` |  |
class invalid_argument; |  |

Defines a type of object to be thrown as exception. It reports errors that arise because an argument value has not been accepted.

This exception is thrown by std::bitset::bitset, and the std::stoi and std::stof families of functions.

Inheritance diagram

### Member functions

(constructor) | constructs a new `invalid_argument` object with the given message (public member function)
operator= | replaces the `invalid_argument` object (public member function)

## std::invalid_argument::invalid_argument

invalid_argument( const std::string& what_arg ); | (1) |
invalid_argument( const char* what_arg ); | (2) |
invalid_argument( const invalid_argument& other ); | (3) | (noexcept since C++11)

1) Constructs the exception object with what_arg as explanatory string. After construction, std::strcmp(what(), what_arg.c_str()) == 0.
2) Constructs the exception object with what_arg as explanatory string. After construction, std::strcmp(what(), what_arg) == 0.
3) Copy constructor. If *this and other both have dynamic type `std::invalid_argument` then std::strcmp(what(), other.what()) == 0. No exception can be thrown from the copy constructor.

### Parameters

what_arg | - | explanatory string
other | - | another exception object to copy

### Exceptions

1,2) May throw std::bad_alloc.

### Notes

Because copying `std::invalid_argument` is not permitted to throw exceptions, this message is typically stored internally as a separately-allocated reference-counted string. This is also why there is no constructor taking `std::string&&`: it would have to copy the content anyway.

Before the resolution of LWG issue 254, the non-copy constructor can only accept std::string. It makes dynamic allocation mandatory in order to construct a std::string object.

After the resolution of LWG issue 471, a derived standard exception class must have a publicly accessible copy constructor. It can be implicitly defined as long as the explanatory strings obtained by `what()` are the same for the original object and the copied object.

## std::invalid_argument::operator=

invalid_argument& operator=( const invalid_argument& other ); |  | (noexcept since C++11)

Assigns the contents with those of other. If *this and other both have dynamic type `std::invalid_argument` then std::strcmp(what(), other.what()) == 0 after assignment. No exception can be thrown from the copy assignment operator.

### Parameters

other | - | another exception object to assign with

### Return value

*this

### Notes

After the resolution of LWG issue 471, a derived standard exception class must have a publicly accessible copy assignment operator. It can be implicitly defined as long as the explanatory strings obtained by `what()` are the same for the original object and the copied object.

## Inherited from std::logic_error

## Inherited from std::exception

### Member functions

(destructor) [virtual] | destroys the exception object (virtual public member function of `std::exception`)
what [virtual] | returns an explanatory string (virtual public member function of `std::exception`)

### Notes

The purpose of this exception type is similar to the error condition std::errc::invalid_argument (thrown in std::system_error from member functions of std::thread) and the related errno constant EINVAL.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <bitset>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <stdexcept>
    #include <string>

    int main()
    {
        try
        {
            std::bitset<4>{"012"}; // Throws: only '0' or '1' expected
        }
        catch (std::invalid_argument const& ex)
        {
            std::cout << "#1: " << ex.what() << '\n';
        }

        try
        {
            [[maybe_unused]] int f = std::stoi("ABBA"); // Throws: no conversion
        }
        catch (std::invalid_argument const& ex)
        {
            std::cout << "#2: " << ex.what() << '\n';
        }

        try
        {
            [[maybe_unused]] float f = std::stof("(3.14)"); // Throws: no conversion
        }
        catch (std::invalid_argument const& ex)
        {
            std::cout << "#3: " << ex.what() << '\n';
        }
    }

Possible output:

    #1: bitset string ctor has invalid argument
    #2: stoi: no conversion
    #3: stof: no conversion

### Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior
--- | --- | --- | ---
LWG 254 | C++98 | the constructor accepting const char* was missing | added
LWG 471 | C++98 | the explanatory strings of `std::invalid_argument`'s copies were implementation-defined | they are the same as that of the original `std::invalid_argument` object

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